CNM school

[tam777]

Hi, I am doing research into becoming a CNM. I am wondering if schooling requires the student to place IUD's and promote methods of birth control in the clinical portion. I am Catholic and can't participate in this, I don't mind learning about it though. I have also considered the difference between a CNM and a LM or CM. I am looking into both programs, but it seems that there are more career opportunites for CNM's. I'm an RN. I also looked into distance learning CNM programs at Catholic Universities but no luck. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks :redbeathe

[CEG]

I don't think schools MAKE their students place IUDs but you certainly have to be knowlegable about them and other types of birth control. To be honest, I think you should consider very strongly whether going into the field of women's health is right for you. One of the major components of my job is counseling and prescribing patients birth control. I have personal beliefs about many areas of women's health but I do not allow my personal beliefs to affect the information or services I provide to my patients. I may recommend one course of action over the other based on my personal feelings or experiences but my religious values do not enter the equation.

I think in order to be succesful you would have to find a very specific patient population. Personally if my midwife would catch my baby but not provide me the other care I need I would go elsewhere. I enjoy the continuity of care. Perhaps if you worked with a partner who would prescribe birth control you could make it work, but a lot of patients would be turned off by that.

Also, midwives often function in community health centers, public health clinics, and other low income based patient populations. Family planning is a very important function for these women who are often in situations where an unwanted pregnancy will be devastating. A midwife who would not provide those services would not be desirable.

Sorry to be so negative. The profession can always use caring and enthusiastic people, but I just feel it may be a poor fit. In the end it is either going to result in you compromising your beliefs or not being able to work in most settings.

[mscott7108]

I coundn't agree more with CEG. Great advice!

[portishead16]

I second that!

[CrazierThanYou]

Totally agree with CEG! Women's health probably isn't the right field for you.

[heatheryk]

I think that there is a place for every type of midwife! It is total balogna that you cannot be a midwife without supporting Birth control! I know several Catholic CNMs around the country that do not offer chemical birth control or IUDs. Some work within a practice that has several midwives and if you want BC they will send you to one of their partners. Some teach natural family planning out of their clinics. Some will prescribe barrier methods such as cervical caps or diaphrams but not other types of BC. I would look around your community and talk to as many midwives as you can. Midwives of all types, CNM, lay, LM/CPM, CM and get their prespective about your community. God Bless your Journey into Midwifery!

[imenid37]

Personally, I do not have the same beliefs as the OP, though I am Catholic too. Don't despair as there are Catholic health providers and facilities which do have the same viewpoint. There is one in Camp Hill PA called Holy Spirit Health System which is very true to Church teaching. They own an OB physician practice which promotes Natural Family Planning and Na-Pro Fertility technology. They employ two CNM's who are wonderful from what I understand. My friend did some of her CNM clinical with then, though she like me, is not opposed to artificial birth control. Just because she wouldn't work for Planned Parenthood doesn't mean she couldn't be a good CNM. Heck, there are a lot of CNM's who can't help patients with NFP. This could be an area the OP could devlop expertise in. I would encourage her to check with Frontier perhaps and see if this would be accepatable to them.